The International Pool Tour was an event that attracted top players from around the world. This tournament was the first television-televised multi-million dollar tournament and aimed at bringing pool into mainstream culture. Kevin Trudeau was the founder. When he created IPT, he was an avid pool player and was already a successful entrepreneur.
This was a professional sporting tour featuring bright lights, professional production, pool pros, and top players. This was a crucial step for pool as the sport was not well organized at the time. The players would play multiple race-to-8 sets per day, but only two of them advanced to the next round.
Trudeau was determined that the game would be a success. He started the tour with $13 million in funding. Although the tour was short-lived it brought the sport back into the limelight. The tour paid out more than $6,000,000 in prizes during its existence.
The tour had four events during its first year. The King of the Hill Eightball Shootout had a $200K prize pot. Another was the North American Open, which had a $2 million purse. Other tournaments include the IPT Players 8-Ball Championship. It was scheduled for October 22-29. Due to issues with the facility, the tour was cancelled in 2007.
The first year of the tour saw the largest pool prize money ever. Reyes was awarded $500K for beating Roderick Morris at the World Open Eightball Championship. For his victory over Niels Feijen, Reyes was awarded a $163k prize.
Efren Ries is considered a legend. Bata is his name. His reputation of "running tables" gave him his nickname. He has won fourteen tournaments. He won a medal in eightball for the 2002 Asian Games.
He earned $500 an hr as a pool instructor when he was younger. It was a surprise that he found his way into the pool world. He decided to make it a career as a pro tournament player several years ago. He became the face and voice of IPT. Currently, he serves as the color commentator on U.S. broadcasts.
Reyes and Francisco Bustamante represented Philippines in the World Cup of Pool. They defeated Roderick Moor and Earl Strickland. They won the Dr. Louis Pannullo Trophy.
Many other stars participated in the International Pool Tour including Mike Sigel. Sigel used to be a road gambler and sold imported products before becoming a pro. But after word of the league got out, he started competing. During his tenure, he won two world championships and is a two-time World Professional Pool Champion.
Trudeau was a long-time pool fan and came up with the idea for the tour after he saw a radio advertisement about a Chicago pool tournament. Initial plans called for a August 2005 challenge match. The tour was cancelled following negotiations with the facility.